[Google Blogger] Create Fast and Beautiful Websites for Free!

Introduction

Hello, I’m Easygoing.

I usually share insights about AI image generation.

Until now, I’ve been writing blog posts on the Japanese platform, note, but I’ve recently launched a new English site (this site) with translated articles. Today, I’d like to introduce this new project!

Why Did I Start an English Site?

AI image generation is an incredibly fast-evolving field.

When I want to gather the latest information, I first search Japanese sites. However, when there’s no Japanese information available, I also check English sites.

Nowadays, AI search engines and browser translation tools have advanced, making it much easier to gather information in English than before.

Can’t Find the Latest Info, Even in English!

Despite these tools, there are times when even English sources don’t have the latest information.

Especially with the release of Flux.1 in August 2024, which made significant advancements over its predecessors, there was little practical knowledge available, and everyone seemed to be figuring out how to use it.

I had been posting my findings on topics like VRAM management and combinations with SDXL on the Japanese platform note.

But since this information wasn’t even available in English, I realized that translating and sharing it in English could be valuable.

Translation takes some effort, but tools like ChatGPT make the process easier than before.

Three Key Points!

When creating this new site, I focused on three key aspects:

• No ads
• High-quality image delivery
• Fast loading speed

Let me explain each of these points.

Building an Ad-Free Website

First, note is a Japanese platform, so I needed another service to create an English site.

When it comes to building a website, the first option that comes to mind is WordPress.

While WordPress allows for extensive customization, it requires renting a paid server.

Many websites cover operating costs through affiliate ads, but I wanted an ad-free website, so I opted for a different service.

What is Google Blogger?

Google Blogger is a blog service operated by Google that anyone with a Google account can use easily. For example, the famous website Irasutoya uses Blogger.

Blogger is entirely free, and Google takes care of all server management, including security.

Hatena Blog and Ameba Blog are major Japanese blogging platforms.

Unlike other free blogging services, Blogger allows you to edit HTML templates, providing considerable freedom in customizing your site's appearance.

While template editing can take time, I was able to reuse templates from my previous blogs for this new site.

Delivering High-Quality Images

Since I’ve built my own site, I’m committed to delivering images in the highest quality possible.

What Are PNG, JPEG, WebP, and AVIF Formats?

The following are the most common image formats used on websites today:

Lossless compression means the image quality remains the same after compression, while lossy compression reduces file size by sacrificing some image quality.

Both WebP and AVIF can handle both types of compression.

WebP is Now the Standard

Although JPEG and PNG are older formats, they are still widely used.

However, WebP outperforms both in terms of file size, and AVIF offers even better compression.

While AVIF is expected to replace WebP in the future, as of September 2024, neither note nor Blogger supports AVIF.

For now, WebP is the dominant image format on the web.

Midjourney Supports PNG!

As of September 2024, online image generation services primarily offer images in lossy compression formats to save storage space.

Among online services, Midjourney stands out by offering images in lossless PNG format, showcasing its commitment to uncompromised image quality as an art-focused platform.

Stable Diffusion / Flux.1 Allows Format Choice

When using Stable Diffusion or Flux.1 locally, you can select the file format.

To ensure high-quality images on my site, I’ve opted to use WebP lossless compression.

Is Lossless Compression Really That Different?

While compression often removes details that are hard for the human eye to notice, images with strong outlines, like anime and manga illustrations, tend to show more noticeable differences.

As I usually generate anime-style illustrations, I find that lossless compression makes a significant difference.

High Data Transfer Slows Loading

Using lossless compression increases data transfer size. While static images aren’t as heavy as videos, having many large images can slow down page loading.

Lazy Loading for Faster Display!

To counteract this, I’ve implemented lazy loading for images to ensure the page loads smoothly. Here's how the image loading process works:

flowchart TB
subgraph Bottom Images
C(Low-Quality)
D(High-Quality)
end
subgraph Top Image
A(Low-Quality)
B(High-Quality)
end
A-->B
A-->C
C-->D

When loading the page, the top images load as quickly as possible, so you shouldn’t notice much lag.

Speed Score Comparison

Let’s compare the speed scores of this new site with other popular blogging platforms.

Pagespeed Insights is a commonly used tool for measuring page speed, and a score of 90 or above generally indicates a fast-loading page.

Hatena Blog and Ameba Blog's official sites have paid plans, so their free versions load even slower.

While these comparisons involve different types of content, I think this site performs remarkably well for a free blogging platform.

Conclusion

• Launched an English site
• Delivering images in the highest quality
• Optimized for fast loading

Customizing a website can be an endless process, but I hope to strike a balance between generating images and improving the site.

Thank you for reading until the end!